Offering the chance to experience Korean beauty, composure and excitement that will remain in your heart.
Jeollabuk-do’s festivals are special, with daily living and traditional cultural activities beautifully coexisting with identity and originality coming to life. Songs and dances that can’t be missed are the true talents of the regional populace, descendants of Mahan and Baekje. The festivals are open at just the right times in 14 different cities and counties. Visitors are welcome both during and outside festival season. The festivals bring forth shining smiles like fully blossomed flowers, offering the surest way to learn about Jeollabuk-do.

Global party, united in sound Jeonju International Sori Festival

Jeonju International Sori Festival is a high-quality worldwide music art festival based on Pansori, Korea’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. It is designed to promote Korean music to the world, and exchange diverse musical heritages of many nations though sounds as meditation. Jeonju International Sori Festival was selected as one of the ‘Best 25 International Festivals’ by the world famous UK music magazine Songlines in 2012 and 2013.

Immerse yourself in the rich culture of fermentation, set to change the world International Fermented Food Expo, Jeonju

The International Fermented Food Expo in Jeonju, is the only world exposition held on the theme of fermentation, which generates the forum for a variety of communication and exchange between all sorts of global cultural heritage in fermentation containing ethnic unique life and culture. The Jeonju International Fermented Food Expo means the industrial expo to promote the growth of fermented food industry through the exhibition of foods and products utilizing fermentation contents in that it tries to publicize the future values of fermentation as a pronoun for future, life and science as well as discover superior and excellent fermented foods. Since this event began in 2003, it has stimulated active and positive interests in fermented foods and has opened the field of business. Furthermore, this event has hosted international fermentation conferences to promote the information exchange of fermentation industry.Thus, this exposition aims to pursue a healthy life, and so propagate and advertise the superiority of fermented foods as macrobiotic foods all over the world, and then perform educational functions through stereoscopic three-dimensional exhibitions and experience programs for fermentation, and further contribute to spreading fermentation culture and activating fermentation industry based upon integrated marketing and global networks.

A dynamic feast of symbols Jeollabuk-do World Calligraphy Biennale

The Jeollabuk-do World Calligraphy Biennale was launched in favor of popularizing and globalizing Korean calligraphy in 1997. Since then, the art of calligraphy, the quintessence of Chinese character culture in East Asia, has gained global interest among calligraphers and the public over the years. The infinite potential of Calligraphy is found here in the Jeollabuk-do World Calligraphy Biennale.

Vivid farming culture experience, Gimje Horison Festival

Gimje Horison Festival has been selected as the Best Culture Tourism Festival eight years in a row, and then was designated as a Korean Representative Fesval, which is held against the background of Byeokgolje as the greatest irrigation facilities in the Orient as well as the Gimje Plain as the greatest plain in our country. On the theme of feeling nostalgia for farming villages within widely vast plains, its horizon is an intangible symbol, although it creates diverse Korean-style images including the valuableness of a land, environment, and nostalgia for childhood memories, so that it provides tourists with infinite dreams and hopes. Especially, as this festival develops the differentiated contents of experiencing farming culture, it is favorably evaluated to satisfy tourists’ five sences. Through rice harvesting, snack eating, grasshopper catching, and torch parades, this festival invokes and awakens reminiscences and nostalgias for farming culture as well as provides growing children with the opportunities for experiencing traditional culture.

The beautiful night sky twinkling in the glow of the fireflies Muju Firefly Festival

The Firefly Festival in Muju is a classic environmental festival of Korea. This firefly themed festival was designated the 322nd natural monument of Korea, helping people appreciate the importance of the environment and culture against the background of pristine nature in Muju. It is also a festival for singles seeking love, as the gestures of the firefly are said to signify the search for love. Taking place on a Seop (temporary bridge) made from logs, mud, and pine branches, it hosts performances like a traditional wedding, traditional nongak (farmers music), and a funeral parade. CNN Go featured a piece on Muju, calling it one of Korea’s most beautiful events, and stated, “Behold the traditions of yore on the Seop bridge festival, part of the Muju firefly festival scheduled to be held from late August to early September every year.”

Substance is more important than appearance Sunchang Source Festival

Jang is the Korean word for paste, and includes Sunchang gochujang (red pepper paste) which is famous for its offerings to the kings during the Joseon era, and here offers this traditional delicacy along with beauty as the main themes. May different programs are offered, such as the Sunchang gochujang (red pepper paste) making event, gochujang bibimbab making, and Meju fermented soybean making.
The most popular two programs are the Sunchang Gochujang Parade of offerings to the king and the Sunchang Gochujang National Cooking Competition. The festival was awarded the economic grand prize in the first Korean Festival Events Awards.

Jeonju showcases international film. Jeonju International Film Festival

Jeonju International Film Festival places freedom, independence, and communication first. It started with the goal to broadly support and proactively develop new concept media like digital, and discovering exceptional and alternative art, striking a contrast from mainstream movies in esthetics or technique. The Jeonju International Film Festival is a non-competitive and partially competitive international film festival which introduces a broad range of movies from new and established directors. Since the first festival in 2000, it has become a place to communicate with audiences through independent, art, and experimental films, and great responses have been received throughout the years by all movie lovers the world over.

A green paradise on earth, Green Barley Field Festival in Gochang

When brightly colored cherry blossoms fully bloom, over one million square meter place are covered with barley in barley field of Hakwon Tourism Farm in Geongeum-myeon, Gochang. It is known as walking the path between the barley fields. Visitors can fully enjoy various performances and experience events while savoring the joy and vibrancy of Spring, thrilling the heart and soul.

Healthy nature dining table, Wanju Wild Food Festival

Delicious dining tables include fresh agricultural products planted and raised in Wanju, all gathered in a local festival. These represent the wild foods: old style rice ball and pumpkin soup, five-colored broth with dumplings, pan-fried pork and potato in Deogam village, and fivecolored jelly and dandelion in Joengam village.

Jeonju’s Hanji harmorny, Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival

The soft glints and scents that waft forth at this Jeonju special event. Famous Korean and international designers participate in the Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival, already boasting a name in fashion circles. Programs include a range of Hanji events, with Hanji crafting, Lamps, and Bracelets, and Jiseong Tug-of-war.

The world festival of love representing Korea

In commemoration of Chunhyang’s love and chastity, Chunhyang Festival has been proud of Korean time-honored tradition from 1931 to the present. Recently, as this festival has been designated as the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism-selected Local Representative Art Festival, it has been established as a Korean representative art festival.
Every May, Gwanghalluwon Garden regions, where Chunhyang Festival is opened, is full of visitors participating in all sorts of performances, events, and experiences including ‘Lady Chunhyang Pageant’, which chooses beauties combining tradiitional beauty and talent together.
If you have your own lover now, please join Chunhyang Festival held in the city of love, Namwon.